Election Spin: Critics' Claims of Crisis Contrasted with Actual Results

Professor Arie Eldad criticizes the opposition's narrative surrounding the recent elections, likening their efforts to a man claiming to chase elephants where none exist. He argues that despite a functioning election system and free press, critics falsely attributed the prevention of dictatorship and war to themselves. Eldad also points to discrepancies in polling data, suggesting a potential for "consciousness engineering" by media outlets whose political leanings aligned with their poll results. He specifically mentions the stark differences between polls from mainstream channels and those from channels 14 and i24, which predicted a victory for Benjamin Netanyahu.

Eldad recounts interviewing pollsters on his radio show with Ron Kofman, noting their vague explanations for differing methodologies. He highlights that politicians like Yair Golan, who advocated for closing right-wing media outlets, were labeled as anti-democratic, while critics of Golan's stance were dismissed. The author contends that many opposition figures, including former IDF spokesperson and reality TV contestants, exaggerated the election's importance to mobilize voters, setting unrealistic expectations for a perfect future and threatening the state's existence if their side lost.

He contrasts these dire predictions with the Netanyahu couple's own apocalyptic warnings. Eldad suggests that if the elections had occurred shortly after October 7th, Netanyahu would have lost decisively. However, by delaying, Netanyahu benefited politically from the public's shift to the right following the war, and from the perception of war achievements being weighed in his favor. Eldad argues that the left's diminished influence and rhetoric, particularly from figures like Yair Golan, inadvertently galvanized the right-wing base, including those considering abandoning Netanyahu due to his perceived failings.

Despite the left's predictions, Eldad states that the Likud emerged as the largest party, losing only a few percentage points from previous elections, and the right-wing bloc remains larger than the "change bloc." He warns that a minority government supported by Arab parties would be short-lived and electorally punished. Eldad concludes by advocating for a national unity government, which would require Netanyahu to agree to an inquiry commission and the opposition to abandon its blanket rejection of him. He suggests potential compromises, such as splitting the Attorney General's role and a legally binding commitment from Netanyahu to step down mid-term, possibly facilitated by a presidential pardon.